Gypsy
by therealme1123
Summary: Max leaves the flock after a fight with Fang after he finds family. Three years later, will they even recognise each other? Who is Alex? And why is he plotting to kill Max?
1. Betrayal

Disclaimer: There's stuff in here that I don't own. Like Maximum Ride and the Flock. They belong to James Patterson. And I don't own "The Bells" or Calypso by Christian Celle. Nor Sharpie markers. I wish I did, but I don't. Karma Bites.

I will always be a gypsy. Not in the sense that I live in a covered wagon with my band of merry henchman, but in the sense that I live off the land and have no permanent address. And I remembered that as I flew down toward the camp. Good, they are still asleep.

I sneak up to my backpack and grab a plastic bag from my pack labeled "Gypsy". I couldn't think of a better way to label a package that spells the ending of your every certainty and the breaking of your heart and the needing to mend all at the same time without screaming it out on the package and wasting a perfectly Sharpie. And I take out my ceremonial goodbye clothes, turning into the bushes to change. I came out in a pair of holey jeans, my black tank top, my only pair of hoop earrings, a piece of silk tied like a belt and a white scarf in my hair, to look at my flock, wide awake. They were all in a line, coherent and brooding like they didn't know what was about to happen, or, if they did, they're thinking of how to stop me. Not even Fang knew what the clothes meant. They meant I had made up my mind, entire end of story. Angel came up to me, crying. The tears left red trails on her dirty face. " Don't go. PLEASE! Please, don't go."

My poor little baby, I don't want her to hurt. When I'm gone, maybe she'll understand. Maybe. "I've got to, Angel. I'm going and that's it." She started murmuring about how this was all her fault, and I grabbed her chin in my hand and turned her head to face mine. I looked her in the eyes and I said, "Don't you dare think for a second of your precious life that you are at fault for any of this. You got that. It's mine. It's my fault and that's why I'm going."

Angel began sobbing again and I pulled her into a hug, letting her tears stain my shirt. That's part of the meaning behind the clothes, letting them touch the people I leave, so maybe I can remember them before moving on. Gazzy walked up next to me and I pulled him into the hug, too, saying, "You heard what I said to your sister. The same thing goes for you. Got it?"

He nodded weakly and I let go of both of them. It was Nudge's turn to walk up to me. She started talking rapid fire at me about everything else I could do with them if I didn't leave. Then she caught herself, giving a half smile of embarrassment. I gave her a reassuring half smile and hugged her, too.

Iggy started to scream at Fang and Alex, the latter of which I hadn't seen up till now. "You screwed this up big time, Fang. You screwed everything up. YOU screwed it up! Fix it. FIX IT NOW! Fix it before she leaves. You screwed everyone's lives, you selfish bastard. So fix it!" He had gotten louder and louder until I thought people were going to stop and stare. I mean we were on a camping site, for Pete's sake.

" Iggy", I said calmly, but with an edge, "Watch your language. It's my fault, not Fang's."" NO, it's my fault."Mr. strong and silent finally decided to speak up, did he? Fang walked up to me, opening my hand and shoving a piece of crumpled paper inside. It read:  
'Darren and Alejandro Rodriguez. Born 10/ 15/ 97. Mother: Ellen Rodriguez, age 19.' And then the name of some hospital in a city I didn't recognize.

It was him. Him and his brother's birth date, their mother, their everything. "This is what you were keeping from me? This is what was so important?" I said softly. He nodded as I pulled a loaded pistol from one of my shoulder holsters, steadying it in my left hand. I had it aimed between Fang's brown eyes when I said in the iciest tone I've got, " If I ever see any of you again, I will shoot you down."

It was way beyond a whisper, but I knew they had heard all too well. Hey, The guy lied to me, and I don't take that kind of stuff well. I turned and ran into the woods a ways before snapping out my wings and taking to the air.

" MAX!"I turned, gun still in hand.

" I told you I never want to see you again."

"Isn't there something I can do?"

I pulled the hammer down, making a soft clicking sound that echoed where we were, just above the trees. "Fang, I'm giving you 10 seconds before I pull this trigger."

"WAIT! Wait. Please. I… I want to make this work. I love you. Please."

He was genuinely scared now. He should be scared. I felt so betrayed by all of this. Why couldn't he have told me that he was looking for his mom? Why couldn't he trust me? He betrayed me, just like everyone else, and I was gonna make him pay.

" Time's up, Fang," I said, aiming above his head and pulling the trigger. Part of me really didn't want to kill him. It was the part of me that made me a bad gypsy, the part of me that attached me to everyone. This, sadly, was one of those times I didn't want it. He had ducked down thinking the bullet was meant for his head and tried coming closer. Bad move, buddy.

"Please, I want this to work. Trust me…"

I cut him off. " I am, have been and always will be a gypsy. I love no one. I trust no one. I forgot who I am and have found myself again. And you are no more to me than every one else is… expendable."

I was comforted by the hot tears that ran down Mr. Emotionless's face. I flew off, collapsing in a cave a few hours away. It was going to be hard for a while. I was so used to them.


	2. That Girl and the Aftermath

A/N: Thanks to SilverScreech and maximumride24 for being the first people to review. I was so excited I was jumping up and down and screaming so loud that it scared my cat. yeah, that sounds really pathetic doesn't it? Anyway, I want to let you guys know that I have the entire story typed up, but I'm just putting it in in installments. And again, thank you so much to everybody who reviewed.

Disclaimer: Please, why in the world of magpies and mandrakes would I be sitting here typing this if I owned what I'm typing about. Think about it. I do not own the characters in this fic. But I do own the plot. Thank you for not stealing. Please buckle up and put away your lap desks as we are now landing at the airport with the next chapter.

-- IGGY'S POV --

I saw every bit of Max's fury, every twitch her hand made while she steadied the gun. Her hair falling in front of her beautiful face, even with the scarf, covering the pain and hate in her gorgeous eyes. Her perfect body shaking only the slightest bit. And now, even the tiniest tremor in her beautiful voice was permanently etched into my memory. Angel made it that way. I grant her that Max made a good bargain. She talked Angel into sending me what people saw, you know, through her mind, so now I can see every thing. Even things I'd never want to.

And it was all Fang's fault. It pissed me off that he was dumb enough to lie to her, especially after everything he KNEW she'd been through. Those tests, Jeb, everyone that she'd been close to, he knew just how much it tolled on her.

And it hurt so much when I saw all of what she'd said after he'd been stupid enough to follow her. She'd taken care of all of us for so long and all it'd taken was one asinine Fang and now she was gone.

You notice the only flock member she didn't say goodbye to? Well she sure didn't. And we're supposed to be best friends. Her and me and Fang. My best friend is gone, it's the other one's fault and my life's lying shattered at my feet. Touching how much they care about me. Max so isn't the only one who wants to kill Fang. Couldn't he grasp that maybe he wasn't the only one who loved her?

-- FANG'S POV --

Her last words rang in my ears. Part of me hoped they always would. I love her. Maybe this'll be the bit of her I can keep. And that song. Her song. I can't get it out of my head. It had this kind of mystic feeling when she sang it. She'd used it as a lullaby for the kids. It was beautiful, everything about her was. I thought over some of the lyrics… " Oh my god!" everyone turned to look at me a look of surprise, fear, anger and sadness welled up in their faces. " You remember her song, don't you?"

As if on cue, Angel and Nudge began a duet of it, and the lyrics, well I think I got the full meaning of them:

Runaway, Run away, Fly away now

Go now while the sun rises

Runaway, run away, fly away now

You're up to your own devices

see the stream see the stream over there

in the plain, in the plain, flowing there

never stays never goes changing there

that's where you'll find me

runaway run away fly away now

go away go away I'm dying now

crumpled in singled out fade away

I'll see you somewhere else another day

see the wind see the wind way up high

feel it there feel it there in the sky

you will see, you will see, days go by

it will lift, let you up, let you fly

run away run away fly away now

say goodbye say goodbye I'm going now

let me fly, touch the air, enjoy the rain

And I'm sure, I'm so sure we'll meet again.

I finally understood. She was saying goodbye, every time she held us close. She was warning us that we were killing her, slowly and softly. That every time we needed her, the more she gave herself up, and that one of those times she'd have to pick up the pieces and mend.

When they finished it looked like Iggy and the Gasman were going to cry. You could tell the girls already were, because their tears flooded the last verse. She'd used the song every time they were hurt or scared, and it hurt to hear it sung by someone else. It took part of the meaning from it.

Alex, well, he thought we were just grieving. Didn't understand the song at all. Because he clapped. Ig snapped, picking Alex up by the collar and thrusting him into a nearby tree, cursing and screaming at him for clapping to her song. Alex in turn was calling for me to come get him out of this mess. It was partly his fault too. Why he talked me into not telling Max I'll never know. But I was too transfixed with the song to care about any of that.

And why shouldn't I? It's all I've got left of her. There was so much I should have done. I reach into the pocket of my jacket to pull out the black velvet box and open it. There was so much I could have done. But she's gone. I wonder so many things. Just to see her again, to start over, would I want it? Would it hurt too much? Would it be worth it?

-- Three years later --

I, the great and wonderful (yeah, right) leader, Fang, am just now getting to the 3rd annual " We Love You For Destroying Itex" party held here in New York in the Flock's honor. I had the flock in my snazzy new hybrid SUV; all of them had smiles painted on their faces, and were in brand new clothes, for the surprisingly black-tie affair.

I, myself, was pretty excited about showing my new life off to everybody. And about the fact that in the invitation they said they located Max, but I better not tell the kids that.

"HEY!"

A person on a cool blue Honda bike came zooming in and up the long driveway, cutting me off from the same entrance. They –scratch that, SHE- got off the bike, pulled her helmet off dramatically, grabbed a bouquet out of a storage compartment, and sprinted up the front steps of the country club, throwing her keys to the valet on her way up.

I arrived at the front stoop a few minutes later, and soon found myself in the cavernous foyer of the country club. Country, my ass. There's nothing country about it. There's an evergreen in the foyer at least 2 stories tall, and the grand hall is larger. This hall has a balcony with two story stairs, leading into a gleaming white room with a spectacular wall of windows, a flowing mixture of clear, textured, and frosted glass.

Too bad Alex is sick, the artist of the family would've loved seeing the techniques used in this masterpiece. He is an artist and I am, of course, a writer. The room glinted with some kind of mischievous glee. The people below were littered with jewels and pearls; the chandeliers sparkled "with a crystalline delight". 1 There seemed to be glitter and sequins everywhere. And above the roaring fireplace, someone had made a coat of arms out of all the old "Down With Itex" posters. Nice touch.

A butler took our coats and we told him our names for him to introduce us. As we walked down the long stairway he called out our names, and a group of news people were taking pictures. I'm used to it. This is the third annual party some rich blog supporters have thrown and after a while you get used to all the publicity. A couple snapshots, you make page 8 in the newspaper, hey, it's once a year; I don't mind. Everyone wants to hire you, which helps when putting four kids through school / college. And the food was good at these parties. All you have to do is show up, and answer a few questions or make a demi-speech. Then you're free to eat and be merry. I blended into the crowd. to avoid more questions from the already nosy reporters. Even I'm not as bad as a gossip columnist!

-- Later--

Though I thought we were the fashionably late ones, another party arrived about 20 minutes later. The butler took her white pea coat, revealing a beautiful blue one-shouldered dress. Her beautiful light brown tresses had long bangs that layered down into long flowing curls. When she walked down the steps, it was as if she floated on a cloud. She must be some kind of angel. No pun intended. " Hey Ig, do you see that?"

ohhhh! I bet you really want to know who that girl is don't you?? Well, I'm not telling. Not yet anyway. Mwahahahaha! And please review.


	3. Queen Max in this corner

Disclaimer: Dude, if I owned, I'd be sipping mocha on the Adirondack chair on the balcony of my three story house in the Hamptons. Not typing this in the Midwest on a beanbag chair in my room. So yeah, no ownage.

-- Iggy's POV--

"Hey Ig, do you see that?" Fang had gotten to be a bit more chauvinistic/"sexist pig" in the last couple years. I think he's finally gotten over her. In a way, good for him. He'd been nuts about Max, and it showed. Then again, I'd been crazy for Max, too. Notice the "had been". I'm finding love in a rather new and unexpected place. So I had some sympathy. But calling the girl up there a "that"? Nuh-uh.

"She's a person, Fang."

"I know that." Right, anyway, Angel was still being my eyes and holding on a conversation at the same time. I, myself, am pretty amazed. She pointed my gaze toward the staircase when the butler called out the name Alecto Nelson. Looking up, I saw someone about Fang's and my age, with a slight build, lightly tanned skin, kind of tawny , and hair only slightly darker that flowed in a river of ringlets cascading to her shoulders. She was wearing a gorgeous one-shouldered blue dress, and I thought I recognized her. Angel laughed in my head, "You should recognize that dress, too. It's Max's favorite. She said she really wanted it. The dress was the first thing I showed you using my powers, remember now? It was designed by Christian Celle. A company called Calypso… or something like that. Anyway, it's cute, isn't it?"

"Yes, it's cute, Angel. She's cute, too. Wait, where's Fang?" Angel moved my vision to just at the bottom of the staircase. Fang and about 30 other guys, besides reporters, were there waiting to make Alecto's acquaintance. She glided down the staircase as if she had done it everyday of her life with a book on her head. I mean, if you looked at her, you thought you were looking at a princess, a queen, even, but not a protester, not a fighter. That was the one uncomfortable thing about these parties. These were all people who played rough and tumble and here they are in monkey suits and dresses. That's what made her stand out.

-- Max's POV --

Tonight is going to be disastrous. I was going to have to make a speech, (Gag me now!) and try not to be noticed by anyone. Because, the CIA doesn't like their teen wonder to get much attention. It might blow my cover. I told them that I didn't like the whole "you conform to us" routine, so they created a special division. The MR division. Just moi. They give me the unsolvable and I get the job done. What can I say? I produce results. Though there are casualties, it's a battlefield, so what do you expect? A rose garden? I'm thinking it might be time to leave there soon, but I'm not sure, anyway, the party.

Right, well I got to my almost empty apartment, took a shower, got into my jumpsuit, and hopped on my motorbike. I had a bouquet as a host/hostess gift, and a parcel, which was to be my apparel for this evening. I usually hated parties, weird for being raised as a debutante, right?

Well I don't care; being "claimed" by at least half of all the eligible men there isn't all that appealing. In fact, it's boring as hell. I started to speed up the more nervous I got. Then, I zoomed in to the drive way cutting off a hybrid in the process. "HEY!"

The driver shouted at me and I looked over at the front seat. It was Fang, and it looked like everyone else was in there, too. Shit. Oh well, "Max" sure isn't showing up for this party. I'm so using a fake name. My personal fave for right now is Alecto Nelson. It's not half bad. Good thing I came prepared.

I zoomed in even faster now, gathering my stuff and bolting into the largely proportioned building. I rushed to the bathroom off the east corridor and started to change rapidly. I had to stay away from the flock. Not that it hurt to see them, or anything. But they'd recognize me and then I'd have to shoot them like I promised, and I'd rather not ruin the party. Besides it's nice to catch up with the ones that didn't try to ruin my life, a.k.a. not Fang.

I put on my favorite (and only) dress and wrapped it the way I felt covered the most bruises and cuts, then I added my lip balm and went out to be fed to the sharks. I came into the grand hall and my "deb" training kicked in. I heard the host announce that this evening there would be a speech from me, the heroine herself, and inwardly groaned. Why couldn't they leave me alone? They were always pestering me, those silly blog fans! And how come they keep getting my address? Do they stalk me? I wouldn't put it past them.

Wow, I thought, looking over the railing to see a crowd gathering at the bottom of the stairs already, they must know I'm here. I walked all the way down, and I spotted Fang. He was handsome as ever. And in a monkey suit, no less. I tried not to laugh. He works for Time magazine as Mr. Darren Rodriguez now, but that doesn't mean he ain't the old sweet and salty Fang I remember.

I looked past him and saw Iggy, looking striking in a similar ensemble, and next to him was Angel. Iggy had his eyes fixed in one place, at me, and I figured that Angel was getting better at the whole "being Ig's eyes" gig. I walked over to Angel, feeling the gazes of several people follow me across the room. If anyone was really going to notice that I was here, it would be her. She turned to me and said, " Hello, Alecto." Then she winked.

"Thanks."

" No Problem, ma'am. But you'd better tell the host what's going on, he's going to be a bit confused." Then Angel giggled. It made me feel good to hear it again. I walked over and talked to the host who immediately cancelled the earlier announcement, saying that instead they have a first person account from Germany, and that Maximum is very ill with skin cancer and has been hospitalized, unable to make her flight.

I looked at the flock members as he said this. Fang looked sadder than I think I've ever seen him. Iggy had a slight frown, more like he was annoyed than anything else. Nudge looked shocked, and surprisingly had her mouth shut. Gazzy, well, he looked like he was talking to Angel, who smiled and gave me a thumbs up. Thanks, Angel.

Then the music started to play and I decided to get in on the fun. I mean if you pretend to have fun, then after a while, you might actually forget you're pretending, right? I began dancing with whomever asked and finally Fang asked me to dance with him. I said yes, feeling my stomach clench. I'd really rather launch my lunch than dance with him. I was so angry, even after all this time. I almost lost it, right there, in front of all these people, blowing my cover straight out of the water.

" You know he loved you, right?" Angel said into my mind. Hell, yeah. He said it numerous times just that last day, three years ago. "Well, here's how he wanted that day to go."

I say images flash painlessly behind my eyes, they were mostly of flying, but then there was a cave and then, I saw my bestfr- EX-best friend- kneeling down and pulling out a black velvet box. He held it out and opened it, and inside was a beautiful ring; it was pure gold with a simple engraved design and a single large diamond. It was kind of like those old silent home movies, all in sepia tone. I felt a few pangings of love and pain run through me as my blood pumped recognition of the reverie through every bit of my body and soul. Then I snapped back to reality. Just in time, too. Iggy was walking up.

"Hey", he said, holding out his right hand, "You must be Alecto. My name's Ig."

I didn't shake it. Iggy recognizes fingerprints, and he knew mine probably better than anyone else's. He and Fang both noticed, but shrugged it off. Thank God!!

"So are you guys from the flock, I mean like The Flock?" I said tying to act like a fan or something. "Because I'm a huge fan! And I'm so sorry to hear about Max having skin cancer, that must be so awful!"

" Actually, this is the first we've heard about Max's cancer," Fang said, hurt definitely tainting his voice, and I resisted the urge to smile. It looked like they'd take the bait. " We had been hoping to see her, too, because we haven't for 3 years."

"Oh my, that must be horrifying, whatever would make such a caring person do something so … so… deliberately cruel?" I said it with a hint of knowing and sarcasm, my specialty, and Fang walked off, angry, while Iggy grabbed for my hand, probably to pull me off and tell me what had happened. He felt the fingerprints immediately.

"Well, I don't think I need to explain it to you of all people, Max." His grip on my arm tightened. Thank someone upstairs for keeping Fang out of earshot. This was bad enough.

"Ig, let go." He only gave a quizzical look before tightening his grip. My arm started to itch to the point were I couldn't stand it so I started scratching at my wrist. " Iggy, come on please let go. Please, it hurts. You're hurting me."

He looked at me with every ounce of fury and hurt that you could imagine. "Well you didn't stop hurting me. Or Fang. You didn't leave anything behind, either. Not that pain or grief counts. You just walked out, like you were never there."

"What do you think that lullaby was for? To calm you guys? Did you even listen to the lyrics?"

Just then Fang walked up again, drinks in hand. Iggy let go of my hand and it looked like it had been burned.

" What lyrics?" I gave Iggy a look that said, "Please don't tell Fang!!!!!"

" A song I heard a long time ago, one Max used to sing." Thank you, Iggy!

"Which one?" a rough edge was callusing Fang's voice.

" The song, dude. She wanted to know what the lyrics were."

"AND NOW LET'S HEAR FROM OUR OWN EYEWITNESS TO THE ATTACK ON THE GERMAN HEADQUARTERS, MS. ALECTO NELSON!"

Wonderful! Not. Stupid person who made me come to the Maxfest of worldly bummers. Sucks for you, Maxie- poo, I thought. I walked on to the stage and I told how I had watched the trials I had to face and how bravely I fought and how amazing it was to be in the presence of such me, trying to keep it as truthful as possible. My story was that I was an American who was on vacation in Germany at the time. I almost slipped into my point of view a couple of times, though. "I think we all were in awe about being in the presence of such a person, or hybrid, excuse me. I mean, she had so much fortitude, so much character. She was such a beautiful person, even then. Even now. And I can only say that I'm honored to have been lucky enough to be there to help her in taking down Itex," I nearly sighed with relief, I was so thankful that I'd finished.

Uh-oh. Fang came up to the podium saying, "She's not that amazing. She left her own flock and threatened to kill them. What kind of person would do that?"

" What kind of person would call himself her best friend if he was going to keep secrets, stupid secrets all the time? What kind of person would betray her like that? I happen to know her well, thank you, and she is a very well intentioned person." Crap, Crap, Crap, Crap, and more Crap. What the hell am I doing? The crowd seemed in awe about this, and I knew that if he kept going I could keep up the pace and stay ahead in this pleasant little debate. But at what cost?

" I doubt highly that you know her as well as I do. The last words she said to me were ' I am, have been, and always will be a gypsy.' All I know is that wherever she is, she's not going to stay long, so you wouldn't have a good chance of making friends with her."

"Have you heard of the email? Or are you too low-tech? And, you know, she could have to settle for a bit to find, oh I don't know, a job." My sarcasm is fueling the adrenaline rush, and that's the only reason I'm doing as well as I am.

"Oh really, she emails you? Then what's her e-mail?"

" face went blank. " Yeah, and we work together. So really, I do know Max." I had beaten him. At wordplay. This was SO not over.

Bet you can't guess what's going to happen next. Duh Duh Duuuuuuuuh!! you'll have to wait till 2morrow, or actually later today, but still. Later, MR.

P.S. thanx to everyone who reviews. : )


	4. Hauntings at the CIA

Hi! thanx to all who reviewed! I'm really glad that you all like my story enough to review. So here's the next chapter.

Disclaimer: My name's MR. not JP. Do your homework. No ownage.

-- Angel's POV --

How he couldn't recognize Max was beyond me. She was still every ounce as pretty as she was back then. Just as fierce and powerful, too. But I was still a little mad about before, so I'm going to have a little fun.

"Angel," Iggy was thinking to me, " Don't do something stupid… unless I get to help." Okay, 2 mad hybrids after a little revenge. One plan coming up.

"GAZZY!" I called. Gaz and Ig are so good about coming up with plans. But I'm not getting Nudge in on this, she'd just blab it everywhere that Max is here, and that would ruin our delightful bit of harmless revenge. I'm deciding to get Fang and "Alecto" together to see how much damage they'd really caused, maybe that'll get Max to come back. I don't know, but it's worth a shot, right?

-- FANG'S POV--

Alecto left the stage in somewhat of a hurry and ran into one of the numerous guys who gaped at her when she came in. I know; I'm one of them. She had this aura about her, some kind of magnetism that just drew everyone in. Not unlike Max. Bad Fang. Max's is gone, remember? Don't reopen the wounds. Today was supposed to be happy. The guys were talking to Alecto now, asking her to dance with them, and I got this overly protective feeling. I walked over, and politely told the closest guy to wait because she promised to dance with me first. Then, I grabbed her arm and pulled her out to the dance floor. When I turned to her, I noticed that she had red patches all over her skin. " Maybe Iggy should check out those red patches of skin, it looks like a rash."

"No, really, I'm fine. It's just eczema." A/N: I'm using the Eczema to show how nervous she is, because in some cases, the disease reacts to feelings and stress. 

"Max has that." I accidentally started letting my guard down. What is it about her? Is my brain like working today, or is it its day off?

"I know."

"How?" It came out sounding more longingly curious and hurt than I wanted it to.

"We work together, in the same division, remember? We go out for Chinese food on Thursdays. Man, you can't even listen to your opponent during a debate? No wonder you lost."

"Where do you guys work?"

"At the CIA. We were interns together and everything. She got lucky, though. They made a division just for her. They call it the 'Impossible Office', but she just calls it the 'MR Division'. Rumors have been going around that if she ever quits the force, the French will want her next. And I can see why, I've accompanied her on missions when she needed back up. You should see her. It's amazing how one trip to the bathroom can change your entire appearance. She'll go in Max, and come out someone else entirely. And she'll blend in completely. I bet she has a list of fake identities as tall as you are. She's says I shouldn't because I'd lose. Instead, she jokes that it's a few feet longer. And she's so strong, too. Not just physically, though. She never lost her cool in all the time I've known her. I think she's just one of the most amazing people…"

" I think I've heard enough about Maximum." It hurt to see that she could be doing so well without me. It was hard enough knowing she wasn't there, but knowing where she was and how happy she was there; that's different.

" Why, because you were in love with her? I know, Iggy told me about what happened. But don't you think that she just needed to leave? She is a gypsy after all. You couldn't have kept her longer anyway. She was dying, smothered. It wasn't unwanted, mind you, she's told me quite a bit as well, but I can tell from how she said it that it was too much for her to handle. I'm pretty sure she's going to leave again once she's got her surgery; you can see it in her eyes, watch her being helplessly trapped by the people around her. She needed someone like her, another gypsy. Kind of like an " us two against the world" thing. For having bird DNA, you sure don't pick up on these things."

" How do you know all that?"

"Sherlock, I'm in the CIA. And I work with Maximum. How could I not?" The song had ended, and Iggy walked up.

" May I cut in?"

" Why certainly," I said feigning politeness. I'm even more angry now. That little twit keeps rubbing salt in my wounds, can't she just let Max drop?

-- IGGY'S POV --

" May I cut in?" I said with all the fake politeness I could muster. Fang said okay and walked off, and I wondered what these two had been talking about. It was a slow song. Good, that'll keep things quiet.

" You seem keen on going to your own funeral," I said, a glint of malfeasance in my voice.

" Just so long as I'm not in the casket." I could feel that she was looking at Fang. There was a bit of longing there, and it made her voice tremble.

" So what happened, after you left?"

" I made my way to New York, lived there for a while, and got picked up by the CIA. Worked there ever since. I am probably going to leave here soon; I've been thinking about the mountains for some time. Why?"

" Curious how it took you three years to get here."

" Well maybe you weren't looking, I've been here ever since I left."

" I wasn't looking. Honestly, I'm still mad that you didn't bother saying goodbye to me. I'm still upset that I couldn't tell you how I felt. But Fang, he's been so different since you left. He never said a word, he kept working himself till he nearly fell out of the air, he never slept until his body shut down on him. He cried, too, when he thought no one could hear. And at first I thought, he was just mourning, but then when we finally got to a rest stop, Fang almost left his jacket. I picked it up, and a box fell out of the pocket. A box with a wedding ring in it. He didn't just love you, Max, he wanted to be there for you, he wanted to hold on to you forever, just to never let go. He'll never get over you. We've hoped that maybe he would, but he won't, he can't. He's looked and searched absolutely everywhere for you, even when he had a deadline to meet, or a school thing to go to, or a doctor's visit. Through all of that, he's kept on looking…"

She cut me off." Let him look some more then. He betrayed me, remember? And over something so stupid. He knew I'd have stood by him, even helped him through that, and if it wasn't true, I would have been there to help. I'd loved him, too. Before I'd thought we could get through everything. You guys were my best friends. And I'd depended on you, even though I noticed that both of you relied on me and not each other. I was okay with that. Fang would talk to me, telling me what went on with him. But no, he has to do it on his own. He knew how I felt about betrayal. He knew that. It hurt so much more seeing Alex there behind him. He gave me this look of pity. I hated it. I've never needed pity."

" Just think about talking to him. Letting him know you're here. Just think about it, okay?" I left her to dance with the next person in line and, sure enough, it was Fang. Angel had to be doing some mind control, because he never danced that much. Or maybe it was because it was Max. Who knows?

I heard what he was saying to her "I don't want to talk about Max. I've had enough of her hauntings." He must not have met her glance, because if there was one thing I remembered about Max from when I could see it, you know with my eyes, was that she was the most unique person as far as coloring goes. She had tawny skin, making it look as if she always had a light tan. She had hair that was only slightly darker with light patches/streaks and it glinted like spun gold in the sunlight. Her eyes would be the only things more unique. They were hazel, the kind that reflects whatever color is near them. They would change color, and there was a depth to them that no one could quite grasp. No matter what she looked like, as long as someone could see those eyes, they would know it was her.


	5. Scheme 2

Disclaimer: No ownage except for the plot and Alex. Who I really don't want to own. You'll see why.

-- MAX'S POV --

"I've had enough of her hauntings." Fang had said it bluntly, and it cut. But he continued, " I loved her. I still love her. I've looked for her for 3 whole God damn years, and the one time I even get close she's where I can't find her. She could even be dying right now in that hospital, and I'll never know. So quit rubbing salt in my wounds. God, I was even going to ask her to marry me. I had the ring and everything. Things never worked out, though. Now she's dying and I'll truly never know." He sounded so open, for once. Ig was right.

" Hey, look at me. She'll pull through. It's skin cancer, for Pete's sake. Even Melanoma has a really high chance of survival. She's just sick right now, and she won't even need chemo. Just a scalpel and some stitches." I almost couldn't believe he still didn't recognize me. This guy is blinder than Iggy.

-- ALEX'S POV --

I was watching everything my stupid twin was doing with his little ex-fiancé. It made me sick. Love was something that could never be attained. I learned that at the School.

I was about in the upper part of the country club, lurking. I was the person who set up this little soiree every year. I was the person who found Maximum Ride and stalked her, finding out everything about the little gypsy. I wanted to get to her. I could pass for the idiot Darren every day of the week and so I thought I could easily switch places long enough to propose, marry her and then kill her. Why, you ask, would I want to kill the sweet, innocent love of my twin brother? Because I knew about her other lives.

Jeb decided when she was about 1 that he didn't want the school to experiment on her anymore, so he hid her away , switching her with another child called Amanda. A little twig; ended up dying a few years later. Max, on the other hand, lived for 9 years as a debutante before finally being recaptured by the School.

And in capturing the little Irish tramp, they killed her foster family and burnt her house to the ground, leaving her for the murder rap. After she left us, she came back to be tried and was acquitted, leaving her the sole heiress to a substantial fortune. Over three quarters of a billion dollars, to be exact.

She then became Marian Reinhart. She moved to North Carolina for a bit before making it up to New York, where the CIA picked her up. She's been moved about the country several times, each time changing her name. And adding coins to the leprechaun's pot. The experiment herself is only worth 34 million alive. And with the vast fortune of a dead experiment, I, the great son of the director, will finish her research; the research she had to die for.

Looking down over the party again I saw the tramp comforting a distraught Darren. She would always love him, even if she didn't know it. Max had a hand on his shoulder, whispering a few soft words to him. They started to walk toward the doors to the gardens. Angel and the Gasman did a high five and Iggy walked to Nudge to presumably let her in on what was going on. I grinned evilly. My plan was coming together quite perfectly.

Ooh, I bet you can't wait for the next chapter. Mwahahahaha! Any way, thanks to the people who review. you make me feel loved. And the advice really helps. Much love. MR


	6. THAT, you blind moron

Disclaimer: Me no own Max Ride. There, now even a cave man can understand it.

-- NUDGE'S POV --

I'd been having a good time talking to people all night. People were amazed by how much I had grown, and lots of people my age remarked constantly about how pretty I looked in my purple linen and tulle smock–like strapless dress. Lately, I'd picked up on Greek mythology and felt a lot like Daphne the nymph. Except black.

But I didn't even come close to this Alecto person. She was more like Aphrodite. Everyone was crawling over everyone else to get to her. If I were a guy I sure would, too. She was really pretty, and she looked like someone really caring and strong. I looked back over there, and saw her talking to Iggy and Fang. It looked like they both liked her, too. It would be good for them to find girls their own age.

They'd both been very upset when Max left. I know it's got to be hard to lose your best friend. Max was better friends with them than they were with each other, and it looked like they were triplets joined at the hip. In the last few years, I know Fang had never stopped thinking about her for a second. I know because I got into the habit of doing laundry.

Whenever I would touch his sheets I could see every time he'd cried over her, every time he'd open the box with the ring and look at it envisioning for the umpteenth time what he'd wanted to say for so many years. But for some reason it looked like my brothers were whole again. I kind of wanted to talk to her, but,

" AND NOW LET'S HEAR FROM OUR OWN EYEWITNESS TO THE ATTACK ON THE GERMAN HEADQUARTERS, MS. ALECTO NELSON!"

Oh, well, there's goes that idea. She talked about how she had met Max and how they had fought and how Angel and me had fought and how cool it was to be near us flock members. She seemed cool, too. Then Fang, the idiot that he is, starts dissing Max onstage. Some days he could be a real jerk. I thought it was funny when she shot him down, though. Served him right for saying that about Max. I went back to talking to people for a while and suddenly Iggy came up to me. "What's up, Ig?"

" Max's here. You better get over there to see her before Fang kills her." WHAT?! Max's here? I didn't see her?

"Where is she?"

" She's there in the blue dress. Can't believe you didn't notice her." Wait. I thought her name was Alecto? I'm so confused.

" I'm going to go talk to her." I walked over to Fang and Max and gave Max a big hug, whispering, "Hello, Max."

-- Fang's POV --

Nudge came up and gave Alecto a hug. I didn't know they even knew each other. Then Nudge whispered something about Max, and Alecto's eyes went wide. "What'd Nudge say, Alecto?"

" We need to talk, Fang. Outside. Now." There was a hint of fear in her voice. She looked up and got really spooked.

" What did Nudge say?" I repeated.

"Fang, shut up and get outside now. This isn't the time for games." She grabbed my hand and practically ran for the door to the gardens. Then she thought better of it, stopped and let go of me, changing her direction, and scurrying through the crowds. I was starting to make the gap a little smaller, but it wasn't enough. When I got to the door she had gotten to her blue motorbike and was speeding down the driveway.

--Max's POV --

I couldn't tell Fang. Everyone else knew, but I just couldn't bring myself to tell him. Okay, I'm admitting it, I, Maximum Ride, was scared. I was scared that he'd still be mad, I was scared that If he wasn't that he'd want me to open up to him, and I can't, I'm scared that something bad would happen. I turned and ran up to where I kept my jumpsuit, quickly changed and fled to my bike before zooming off to my apartment. I got there about 15 minutes later, and was surprised to find Fang inside my living room. " How did you get here so fast? How do you know where I live? And why are you here?" I wasn't upset that he was here, though, even after everything.

" I came here to find you. Ig told me who you were after you left. Angel picked your mind for the address and I flew, like always. I love you, Max," He said, kneeling down. God, he was so gorgeous. " I can't stop. Will you marry me?" Oh my God.

"Yes."

Iggy's POV

Fang ran after Max when she left. Now he had come back, alone. " It's okay that she's gone, man. She was going to go again, anyway…"

Fang cut me off, " What do you mean 'again'?"

"That, you blind moron, was Max." A flash of recognition went off in his eyes and then it started to sink in.

" I'm gonna kill that bitch if I ever see her ugly face ever again! I hate her so much…"

" I wouldn't say that yet." I pulled out my Ipod that Nudge had souped up with recording capabilities, and stuck the headphones on him. Tears welled up in his eyes when he heard all of Max's and my conversations.

" I have to find her."

"No can do, Fang. She's gone. I've got no address, no nothing." He looked desperate now, wild and wanton, like nothing could stop him.

" I've got to go." He made his way through the crowds of people and left.

Fang's POV

"I've got to go." I was feeling desperate. I couldn't lose her again. Once was enough. I got to my car and drove off, trying hard to remember which way she had come, thinking I could just feel my way there. I looked and looked for hours before giving up and turning to pick everyone else up from the party, heartbroken again. I turned on the radio, and this song came on. Are the people who play this stuff psychics or something?

You took my hand  
You showed me how  
You promised me you'd be around  
Uh huh  
That's right  
I took your words  
And I believed  
In everything  
You said to me  
Yeah huh  
That's right

If someone said three years from now  
You'd be long gone  
I'd stand up and punch them out  
Cause they're all wrong  
I know better  
Cause you said forever  
And ever  
Who knew

Remember when we were such fools  
And so convinced and just too cool  
Oh no  
No no  
I wish I could touch you again  
I wish I could still call you friend  
I'd give anything

When someone said count your blessings now  
'fore they're long gone  
I guess I just didn't know how  
I was all wrong  
They knew better  
Still you said forever  
And ever  
Who knew

Yeah yeah  
I'll keep you locked in my head  
Until we meet again  
Until we  
Until we meet again  
And I won't forget you my friend  
What happened

If someone said three years from now  
You'd be long gone  
I'd stand up and punch them out  
Cause they're all wrong and  
That last kiss  
I'll cherish  
Until we meet again  
And time makes  
It harder  
I wish I could remember  
But I keep  
Your memory  
You visit me in my sleep  
My darling  
Who knew

I flipped it off. It was too hard to listen to it anymore. I pulled over, my tears blurring my vision. Why did I have to screw everything up? Everything I had ever wanted amounted to her. And I threw it all out the window! I hit my head on the steering wheel and sobbed until I had run out of tears. Then I wiped off my face and restarted the car. I drove slower this time, just in case my vision blurred again. Life sucks.

And karma bites. Guess what's funny about this chapter? Υπάρχουν τρία διαφορετικά ονόματα από την ελληνική μυθολογία. Ταχυδρομήστε τα ονόματα και τις έννοιες (χρήση σε μια αναθεώρηση και θα πάρετε την ειδική αναγνώριση στο επόμενο κεφάλαιο!! I would translate that if I were you. Much love. MR


	7. I do believe I already am

Just a reminder: This has been completed already. I'm just putting it on here in installments. So for the Miggy and Fax fans, I'm sorry to say you'll both be disappointed in me. And I'm laughing my butt off. The answer to the question in Greek in the last chapter was:

Aphrodite-the goddess of love

Alecto-the leader of the furies, name meaning unceasing anger.

Daphne- a laurel tree nymph

Yeah, had to put that up there! And sorry about the fact that I accidentally forgot to type a site for looking up the answer. Oh, and a question, are people skipping the 5th chapter? Thanks to all who reviewed! Much love. MR.

Disclaimer: If I owned there would be little tragedy in this fic, I would have a pet panda named Snuggle-wumpuss, and I would be eating chocolate cake with chopsticks. If you see anything like that happening in the near future, call your local police dept. cuz somebody's gone off the deep end.

Fang's POV

Days and weeks and finally it's been about 4 months after the party. It's a cold December morning, everything looked up. Alex was especially happy, and it rubbed off on me, too. I decided to work in my home office today, trudging out to the shed on the new fallen snow. When it came time, I went back to the house to change, and picked up the kids from school.

Then night came. Alex said he was going to be out all evening, and I was just about to go to sleep when I got a phone call on my cell phone. It was from Alex's phone. "Hey, Alex. What's up?" There was heavy breathing on the other line; he must be in trouble. "Are you okay? Do you need me to pick you up?"

" Fang, it's Max." I felt a pang of joy surge through me. And then confusion. Why did she have Alex's phone? "You need to get over to my apartment. Alex is dead. I shot him."

"Where?"

LATER—

I arrived at Max's place to see the police already there. I ran up to her flat and found her in a navy jumpsuit with a blanket around her shoulders as she told her story to several officers. I started walking up to her, when she finished and turned to me and hugged me, saying, "Oh, thank god you're here. I don't know what I'd do without you." The words hit me like a brick. Maybe she did love me, and we could go on and be together. Wait, this is my twin's killer!

" What happened to Alex?"

"He's dead."

"Why?"

" I don't want to talk to you about it. I just need to get out of here." I sighed and called up the house to get Iggy and Nudge to set up the spare room. They were very excited that Max was coming. I didn't tell them about Alex. Didn't want to scare them. The whole car ride was silent. When we got to my home she remarked on how well I must have done without her, a mix of pride and sadness in her voice. She burst into tears when she saw Iggy and Nudge.

" Happy Early Birthday Ig!" she said through her tears, pulling out a small gift-wrapped package. His birthday is December 17th, a week from now. He opened it to find a photo disk of when we were kids and a Braille laptop. That will make his day for at least the next three weeks. Or more. Nudge gives her a big hug and Max smiles before we all go up to our rooms. Now there are even more questions to be answered, I thought as I crawl out of my clothes and under the covers, hoping to get some sleep.

I woke up at 7: 30 to the smell of bacon and coffee. Iggy was doing better than ever at cooking, but, as far as breakfast goes, I prefer to stick with the basics. I walk into the kitchen to see almost everyone awake and chastising Ig for not being done yet. "Hey Fang, can you go wake up Max? She'll probably take more kindly to you waking her. And did Alex call you? Because he's not home yet." Ignoring the last question, I walk silently to Max's room. The window is open and Max isn't there. Real Bad Sign. I listen for any sound and hear a shower going in the bathroom across the hall. The door is locked. All my inner alarms start going off.

"Max, are you in there? Open up! Unlock the door." I was starting to get really scared when I remembered the key was above the door. I quickly got the door open to find a fully clothed Max sitting in the shower, sobbing through the sprinkling water. Going over to her, I opened the shower door and climbed in. She was cold, practically hypothermic. I turned the water to a warmer setting and got a towel to wrap around her shoulders. She turned and started crying on my shoulder, while I wrapped my arms into a hug around her waist, pulling Max's shaking form closer.

" He pretended to be you. And I was stupid enough to believe him. He proposed, and I said yes. He told me he loved me. I thought he was telling the truth. I was so stupid." Then her pained voice turned to one filled with hate and without regret. "But he was careless. He left some stuff out on the desk while he was taking a shower yesterday. We were supposed to be going to dinner. I found his diary and I got curious. I read it from front to back. He was going to kill me after we got married! Then he found me with the book in my hands. He got into this rage, and he picked up one of my knives. He was going after me with it when I shot him." She practically wailed, and fury went through me. Alex wanted to kill the beautiful little nymph in my arms. It made me just want to hug her and cry with her. Lucky me, I am. Note the sarcasm. I didn't care why he wanted to kill her; just that fact was enough to hate him forever. It was like Max read my mind. " The Director of the School, Marian Janssen, has another name. Ellen Rodriguez. She was a child prodigy, and volunteered as an intern to have you. But no one knew she'd have twins. She wasn't a legal resident so she had to change her name and falsify documents to get the job at Itex. They put you with us, and your brother was raised by the Director's assistant. He wanted to restart the School." That asshole wanted to take her from me and reopen the School? My own twin? He just wanted me to hate his guts, didn't he? If he weren't already dead, I'd put a few holes in him.

" What do you want to do now?" I say, looking into her beautiful hazel eyes, seeing the hurt and pain and love and longing all within the depth of the now green and amber orbs. She looks up at me as well, a sad smile playing across her gorgeous face.

" Starting over sounds good."

Max's POV

" Starting over sounds good." I said, leaning up to kiss him. Fang kisses me back, seductively trailing his tongue across my lips asking for an entrance. The shower still beats down on us, and water mats our hair down and makes our clothes heavy, but we don't care, the cream-colored tile bathroom has melted away. So have all of my fears. Fang's here, with me, and everything's okay. I feel light, like I've been pulled from the pain and sorrow in the darkest reaches of my mind.

He weaves his arms closer to my waist and pulls me on top of him. I get my arms around his neck pull him even closer, if that's possible, kissing him with more force than I'd actually intended. I don't think he minded, though. When we finally came up for air, he said, " I love you so much more than you could ever imagine."

Fang's POV

She had kissed me. WOW. After what seemed like forever, I knew she loved me. She was so much more than anyone could've ever expected. She was beautiful, smart, funny, sarcastic, moody, dark, light, anything she had her sights on. There was nothing more amazing than Maximum Ride.

Flashback--

It was a rainy day; back when Max, Iggy and I were all 11. She had finally gotten the guts to tell us about her first family and all the behavioral tests she went through for the School. She told us about the good times, the hard times, the so-bad-you-want-to-scream times, and all of them made me angry enough to punch through the walls. But what really got me furious was when she told me what her father had done to her. All of the betrayal she felt ran through me, as if it were my own.

Max had gotten herself worked up and she was crying, trying not to revisit her past and reopen all her wounds. I said, " Shh, it'll be okay. You're with us now. We won't hurt you." I turned her to face me and she wrapped her arms around my neck, quietly sobbing into my shoulder. It lasted until my shirt was soaked and she was spent.

She looked up to me to say thanks, but I didn't hear it. I was to busy taking in all her beautiful features, seeing her red rimmed eyes, her precious tear stained cheeks, her soft, pink lips, and I realized that out of everything in this world, she was all that I wanted. That no matter what happened, as long as she was there, I could be whole and happy. I realized that this is the one person I never want to lose.

End of Flashback

She's here with me, now. Like hell I'm gonna lose her again. "Max," I said, pulling away from her for a second, " Marry me?" She pulled out her left hand, which was entwined in my hair, and flipped it around to show the ring I had bought to give to her. Alex, the bastard, must have stolen it.

" I do believe I already am." Then she kissed me again, and I decided the being-wet part of this was getting old. I picked her up in my arms got more towels for us to dry off with and went down for breakfast. Everyone looked at us in amazement except Angel, who was smiling in her signature angelic look. And that's when I remember I'm only in boxers. Oops. We started eating breakfast, and Max kept wanting extra bacon, so we ended up frenching in front of the kids. And that's when Iggy decides to shout, " She shoots, she scores!" Max and I both looked embarrassed while everyone laughed, and it's like the last few years just faded away.

Okay, the last part I really couldn't get it the way I wanted, but I don't think it's so bad that I have to rip it to shreds and start over. Or is it? Please let me know.


	8. Wedded Bliss Goes Down the Tube

This ought to be the most emotional chapter. I had trouble deciding what to call it. My 2 major choices were " the Emo chapter" and "Wedded Bliss Goes Down the Tube". But I picked the second one. I know, I'm funny that way. Hope you like this one!

Disclaimer: Do I look like a really old rich guy? (looks in mirror and screams) Oh, thank God, that's just a poster! Yup, I'm still me. And still no ownage.

Fang's POV

We've lived together in bliss for 4 months, getting everything ready for our wedding in another 8 months. For being such a tomboy, she could get really girly. She insisted on a big wedding with flowers and a big reception and everything. I caved, although I truthfully couldn't wait till she was really mine. And part of me wondered if this was Nudge and Angel, instead of Max.

I came in one morning to find her dressed up in a muslin dress and with some guy wrapping her all over with a marked up yellow piece of plastic like she was some heifer. And she didn't mind it. Something about it made my blood boil. " Hey, what are you doing here, touching her like that?"

" Fang, calm down," Max said, looking incredulous, " He's a dressmaker. A wedding-dressmaker. It's a fitting, now can you leave the room? I want this to be a surprise." I left, still a bit suspicious, but I trust Max. She wouldn't hurt me, right?

Max's POV

That was embarrassing! I hope Jean-Claude won't quit because of that. I want to look like a princess in December. Not like some other bride, so I've got Jean-Claude, a designer for Dior, to make a special gown for the occasion. I'm so excited. Okay, I admit, I'm acting girly. But this is like the one day every girl dreams about since she's like 5. I'm so sure about this. I want it to be perfect.

December

Oh. My. God. I'm actually getting married. As in like today. I'm looking at myself in the mirror, and Nudge keeps telling me how beautiful I look. I don't want anybody but her and me and Angel to know yet, but I think Iggy knows already. He just turned 18, so I guess it's okay. I'm just so God damn nervous. Oh God, there goes the music. Time's up. I hope no one can tell I'm so nervous I'm about to puke or run, or both.

Fang's POV

I get up there in front of everyone, and then it hits me. I'm getting married to the most beautiful person, ever. And I look like a complete idiot doing it. Iggy says that Angel gave him a sneak preview, and that Max looks gorgeous enough that he might try stealing her for himself. I told him that he better not try.

Damn, the music's starting, no more time to be nervous. Nudge looks good; she's wearing a forest green velvet floor-length dress with a white faux fur lined brown coat that drags through the snow. Yes, the person wearing the least clothing (a.k.a. Max) decided to do this outside, in the middle of December, on the foothills of the Rockies. Smart, no. Aesthetically awesome, I can go with that.

Now Angel comes out; adorable in her own version of Nudge's dress, but her coat is light tan instead of deep brown. Angel said she wouldn't be anything less than flower girl; now here she is, dishing out scarlet rose petals.

Now the music changes, it's Canon in D minor, and Max appears out of the forest. Iggy was right. She had her hair loosely floating about her face, framing it well. Her gown made her look like an angel. The white dress was long and silky with white on white embroidery at the trim. It had a low neckline, too, but I think / hope that I'm the only one that was looking. Her coat was more like a cape, the hood hiding most of her face, and down at the bottom of the cape, where it slid across the frozen ground, there was forest green embroidery in the same swirly pattern. She walked up the aisle, (okay, fine, it's a pile of snow!) and finally stopped beside me.

"See, that's why it's a surprise. I HAD to see that face. I wish I had my camera with me."

" Yeah, and I wish I could kiss you before the priest up there gives the okay. We all can't get what we want."

"Well, my wish is making something for posterity."

"My wish is making posterity."

" Perv."

" But I'm your perv." The priest or minister or whoever had started the ceremony so Max wouldn't continue our conversation, but I knew there was more that she wanted to say. Uh-oh, the vows.

" Being best friends with you was the best thing that ever happened to me," I began. "I had, finally, someone to depend on. A rock. Then, as we grew older, I found out every special thing about you, everything that I love about you. We have had so many great years together and I can only hope that there will be many more, because you are the only one that I love, and I want to hold on to you forever. There is nothing more enjoyable than being here today, saying all of this to you, the girl of my dreams, because it's not a dream, and I get my chance to love you the way you deserve." I slipped the gold ring onto her finger, and the sparkle that came from it made her near-teary eyes glitter.

Then it was her turn, "You and I have been through everything that can and has gone wrong. You were always there when I needed you, and soon I began to notice that I always needed you. You are the most special person in my life, and in everything that we've been through, there hasn't been a second where I haven't loved you." She slipped the gold ring on my finger and she smiled, gripping my hands tight. I smiled back, and it looked like she melted.

There wasn't much more to the wedding and the party afterwards was more for the guests than anything. We wanted badly to get to our hotel in Canada, where we were taking our honeymoon. After a long flight, on a plane, to British Columbia we made it to the hotel. Max immediately wanted out of her dress, which I would to if I were her, so she took a shower. Then she handed the bottle of shower gel to me, as if I'm not clean already, and I took my turn in the suds.

Max's POV

I got out of the shower and was starting to unpack when I heard the door open. I turned, and it looked like the wind had blown it open, so I closed and locked the door. I go back to packing when someone wraps a piece of rope around my neck and starts squeezing. I grasp at my throat, unable to scream. " Hello, pumpkin, glad to see you're doing well. How's the new fiancé thing working out? Bet you couldn't guess that I can heal myself. I bet I'm the first person they've seen walk out of a mortuary." I wanted to tell him that I was already married, and to shove his head where the sun don't shine, but I was focusing on the big picture, GET FANG! I couldn't reach the holster on my left leg, and that was the only one I had, so killing him wasn't an option. Surviving, luckily, was. A gunshot went off, going through Alex and into me. Then there were a couple more, still plunging through my flesh. Fang sure wanted Alex dead. He came up to pull the corpse off me and I blacked out.

FANG'S POV

While I was in the shower, I heard the door open. I decided to hurry with my shower to surprise Max when she got back. But as I get out of the bathroom, even I'm surprised. Alex is there, and he's strangling my wife. Great. I found a gun from one of Max's holsters in the bathroom, and I pulled the trigger. At my own twin.

His body started to fall and I pulled the trigger a few more tomes for good measure. I come over to find Max passed out underneath Alex and when I pulled him off I saw the damage I had done to her body. All the shots went through her like a hot knife through butter, and the blood loss was lethal. I called the police but the ambulance wasn't going to arrive in time, so I picked Max up and flew her over to the nearest hospital. She went into surgery right away, and after 7 and a half hours it was determined that she was going to be okay when she woke up. That is, her and the baby.

I know, suspense! You must hate what I'm doing to you! Oh well. More surprises next chapter! And thanks to everybody who reviewed! Much love. MR


	9. Not A Fax Fic

For those of you who thought this wasn't going to be a Fax fic, here's why. I hate having to do this to my favorite character, and I actually had to consciously force my self to keep typing. I hope you guys like this chapter!

10 months later (Fang's POV)

The phone rings and it's the hospital. I rush over there to find Max with a defibrillator on her chest, pumping electricity into her. Within 10 minutes they declare her dead. After everything we've been through, she's gone.

Kayewinnette Lee is crying, and I can't console her. My Max just died in the middle of the coma wing. How in the world am I supposed to be okay enough to handle a screaming 3-month old baby? I call up Nudge to take over in the Kaylee department, while I go home, already starting to prepare another bloody funeral. Why did she have to go? She's Maximum Ride, for Pete's sake, why couldn't she pull through?

" I loved my wife more than anything else this world could give me. Apparently, Fate and my twin had other ideas. But we always pulled through before. She and I hung in there for dear life, and we kept going. She was the strongest person I knew. No matter what life threw at her, she threw it back, and with a sarcastic comment in tow. Yet all I can think of is her song. That seems to be the single most important thing about her. She was as free spirited as the wind. And that song personified it and gave her some earthiness that seemed entirely impossible." The lyrics played again through my mind:

see the wind see the wind way up high

feel it there feel it there in the sky

you will see, you will see, days go by

It will lift, let you up, let you fly

run away run away fly away now

say goodbye say goodbye I'm going now

let me fly, touch the air, enjoy the rain

and I'm sure, I'm so sure we'll meet again.

"I can only hope that she can fly wherever she is. And that she can be free and happy, like she was here on earth." And then, in the middle of Max's funeral, I begin to cry.

She looked as beautiful as the day I first fell in love with her, except she was so god damn pale. I wished she would just wake up. That Max would wake up and be okay, and we could move on. But we can't. She had her favorite dress on, and Max's hair had been done so that curls framed her beautiful face perfectly. She also had a bouquet of pink roses. I knew they were her absolute favorite, even if she swore she hated pink.

God, I missed her so much. It was like she ripped my heart out and took it with her. She was going to miss watching her daughter grow up. Max would miss growing old, and retiring, and living life without suffering. She'd miss out on so much. And we all miss her. She was one of those people whom everyone connected to, and felt they knew forever, even if they didn't.

They didn't know what happened to her. They didn't know she was a gypsy. Or anything else. I got up from where I was seated to put the traditional red rose on her casket. And the pallbearers took her away from me. Life was going to be so tough without her.

I can't raise a baby by myself! I'm 19 for Christ's sake! I can't do this without her. I look down at Kaylee. She had hazel eyes, and was tawny, just like Max. But she had darker reddish-brown hair, and her wings had reddish tinge to them. She was a cute baby, and I figure that, like Max, she got hit with the pretty stick. Kaylee looks up at me from being asleep and says, " Who's Max? Where's my mom?"

And so you guys don't eat me alive here's a sneak peek at the Epilogue, called The Lateness of the Hour:

Dad said that Mom was one of the greatest people who ever did live. I never knew her. She never said a word to me. She died when I was 3 months old.

Every week of my life, Daddy'd put fresh pink roses on her grave, right next to where it said Maximum Ride, loved by all. 1997- 2017. He said that the reason for the roses was that they showed her that she could be free. That he was giving her spirit permission to live wherever she wanted to live, and that he still loved her…

Please review, and thanks to all of you who have! And I'll post the rest 2morrow! Much love. MR.


	10. LotH part 1

Epilogue- The Lateness of the Hour

Dad said that Mom was one of the greatest people who ever did live. I never knew her. She never said a word to me. She died when I was 3 months old.

Every week of my life, Dad'd put fresh pink roses on her grave, right next to where it said Maximum Ride, loved by all. 1997- 2017. He said that the reason for the roses was that they showed her that she could be free. That he was giving her spirit permission to live wherever she wanted to live, and that he still loved her.

The roses were also in his favorite picture of her. It was one from when my parents were 12, and she smiled into the camera with a big childish grin, a pink rose blossoming from behind her left ear. Daddy'd look at it all the time, even when he was supposed to be talking to one of his advisors.

When I was 5, I wanted to know about her, what kind of person she was, how she died. I asked Daddy, and he said, "Look at the picture and ask her yourself. Or if you can't raise her, call Aunt Nudge. But don't ask me." He said it coldly, like he hated her, but more like he never forgave her for dying and leaving him. But then I called Auntie Nudge.

" Hello? Auntie Nudge? It's me Kaylee."

"Kaylee! Oh my gosh, it's good to talk to you! What do you need?"

" I want to know about my Mom, but Daddy won't tell me. He said to talk to you. Does he not forgive her for leaving? Does he hate her, Auntie Nudge?"

" No." Her melodic voice drained of its usual luster. "You have to understand, your parents loved each other more than anything in the world. Fang could never hate your mother. She could do the most horrid things to him, and he'd still love her to pieces."

" Then why does he get angry when I ask about her?"

" Because he killed her, Kaylee."

You guys must hate me now. Believe me I understand fully! My condolences for the next chapter. MR


	11. LotH part 2

Hey, Fang fans!!! You guys are going to hate me! More!

Disclamer: I don't own the characters, except my OCs, and depending on the reviews I get I might disown the plot, too!

"Daddy killed Mommy?"

"Yes, Kaylee. It was an accident, of course. He was trying to save her. She was being strangled at the time, and he put 5 shots through the attackers back, and they all went through to Max. It was a lucky thing none of them hit you. And I may not be Aunt Angel, but I know what you're thinking, and yes, Max would have loved you. She would have said something like, 'This little girl is going to be the prettiest thing you laid eyes on; just you wait and see.' Everyone knew that it was only a matter of time before she had kids, and everybody but your parents had bets that Fang was going to be the father. They were the "parents" of the Flock, Kaye. You're lucky to be born of them. I guess it comes from your mother's Irish luck. But just about anybody would want to trade places with you. You have so much life ahead of you."

11 years later

On my 10th birthday, my dad shot himself. They said he "missed Max too much". Couldn't he miss me? The person whose life he wrecked by leaving. He got it easy. He got to die. I got his country to run and a name to protect. My mother's name.

Yeah, didn't they tell you he started a country? Well, they should have filled you in. After Max died , he went and talked to the UN, saying that for the safety of all surviving hybrids, it would be imperative that they live separately from humans. So that's how we got Haven. Or at least that's what they teach in our history classes. Everybody just assembled under Dad, and for some reason that made it a monarchy. And now here I am, orphaned and Queen. Fun.

Everything, I felt, was me in the shadow of my parents, however, that I had nothing that made me different, if not better than them. I didn't even have my name anymore, and it saddened me. Aunt Nudge had always called me Kaylee, right up until her house was blown to pieces by the Americans.

The Humans feared us. They feared our fear of them. It scared them to be thought of as monsters. It didn't matter that we had been peaceful. It didn't matter that Mom and Dad tried to save the world, and that the humans messed it up again. It didn't matter that we had the UN shoved down our throats with all three daily meals. All that mattered was the selfish humans were afraid, and that meant that we had to die.

They burnt all that my father had built, all that my mother had stood for, all that I had tried to protect. First they took our ports. I took over Canada. Then they took our mountains. I fought it and took Japan. They kept coming and kept destroying us. Civilians I had sworn to protect were now dead. Men. Women. Children.

Finally they reached the capitol, and when they did, they used a hydrogen bomb to wipe us from the earth. It should have hit me. Instead, I have to watch my country, my city, and my loved ones burn. Aunt Angel stands beside me, silently trying to comfort me, but it doesn't work. Jinx, a friend, walked into the clearing behind me, reaching her hand out to touch my shoulder, but thought better of it. Good, I don't want to be touched. Iggy's daughter definitely can't help me when she was grieving anyway.

Out of the original Flock, only Angel has survived. Mom, Dad, Uncle Iggy, Aunt Nudge, Uncle Gazzy, they all meant so much to me. And all of them had been ripped from me, like a little kid pulling off a daisy's petals. I can't take this anymore, " Why?" I scream the word into the roaring wind that feeds the flames of Haven. I start to sob and everyone, not knowing how to calm me, backs away into the woods. I keep crying like the baby I am until I'm finally spent, and I see the fire for what it is.

It's the fear, the anger, the hate they feel towards us. And every time you look at it, you want to go in there and save the people you know are in there. But they're dead. You want to get them out of there, but there's no point and it drives you into even more of a frenzy.

I stand tall, pulling my green cloak closer to my neck to keep the wind off, and walk into the gloomy forest, away from the death, so that maybe I can rebuild. I feel kind of like a gypsy, a tumbleweed, walking away from my roots and everything else that ties me down. It feels good, being able to do and not think. You just are; it's that simple.

You can hate me now or now because this is it. I'm starting a new story that I will put the first chapter up by Tuesday. Please Review and thanks to those who have.

P.S. Thanks Specifically to

SilverScreech  
acavoo  
Lucky-Me-1993  
maximumride24  
meepisms  
mickeychan999  
Makmay04  
grlwantwings  
bellabff

You guys gave me important feedback and I couldn't have done it in this short a time without you guys. So thanks! MR.


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